Energy-efficient integrated electro-optic memristors

Neuromorphic photonic processors are redefining the boundaries of classical computing by enabling high-speed multidimensional information processing within the memory.  Memristors, the backbone of neuromorphic processors, retain their state after programming without static power consumption.  Among them, electro-optic memristors are of great interest, as they enable dual electrical-optical functionality that bridges the efficiency of electronics and the bandwidth of photonics.  

Efficient, scalable and CMOS-compatible implementations of electro-optic memristors are, however, still lacking.  In the paper 'Energy-Efficient Integrated Electro-Optic Memristors' published in Nano Letters, the authors* devised electro-optic memristors by structuring the phase-change material as a nanoscale constriction, geometrically confining the electrically generated heat profile to overlap with the optical field, thus achieving programmability and readability in both the electrical and optical domains.  The authors demonstrate sub-10 pJ electrical switching energy and a high electro-optical modulation efficiency of 0.15 nJ/dB. 

This work opens up opportunities for high-performance and energy-efficient integrated electro-optic neuromorphic computing.

*Led by this department: comprising Oxford Materials , The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (Singapore), and Microsoft Research (Cambridge).